Update on 2017/18 Skating Season

RPFSC is currently in discussion with the City of Vancouver Parks Board for 2017-18 ice time. Our Club’s goals are to continue offering our programs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and to receive additional entitled ice time. Once the City confirms our allocated ice time, we will develop our Fall and Winter Program schedule. We hope to post the schedule by the first week of August and will open on-line registration shortly thereafter. Priority registration will be available to our current members.

Carnival Commitment Forms due April 30

The RPFSC Board of Directors has made a commitment to producing its Bi-Annual Carnival for Saturday March 24, 2018

The Carnival is an opportunity for our skaters to dress up, learn group choreography and experience performing in a fun atmosphere. Some of you may recall our last Carnival Production, the Beatles-themed, “Magical Mystery Tour” in March 2016.

While the event is still a year away, planning begins now. Before the Board proceeds with the next steps in planning, we want to ensure that we have enough skaters committed to participate in our Carnival which is during Spring Break next year. Therefore, we are providing you with as much notice as possible for you to consider and plan for your skater’s commitment to participate in Carnival during Spring Break next year.

Download and review the Participation Commitment Form which outlines more specific requirements for skaters who will participate in our Carnival. If you haven’t already, please complete the bottom portion of the form and return it to us by April 30, 2017.

Feel free to email us at [email protected]

Spring Skating Lessons

With the snow and cold behind us (hopefully), our thoughts turn to Spring.

RPFSC will once again be sharing ice with Kitsilano Figure Skating Club during the Spring and Summer skating sessions.  Our clubs are now working together to develop our Spring Skating Schedule. We are hoping to publish our Spring Session schedule by mid February and begin registration by early March.

This Spring and Summer, the City will be closing not one, but two of its skating rinks. This means less ice time available and our Spring Session will run during April and May only.

During April and May, we will be able to offer full CanSkate and StarSkate programs and ice time to our Competitive Skaters.

In June, ice time will be reduced significantly and we will only be able to offer ice time to our Competitive Skaters.

CanSkate and StarSkate Programs will return in July for our Summer Skating Session.

Family Skate Update and Schedule

IMG_6774-91_Big_PrintOur Annual Family Skate is coming up!  This event consists of a Skating Display, followed by our Family Skate. All RPFSC members and their families including siblings are welcome to skate together, after the skills display. There will be skate rentals and helmets available from 10.30am – 12.30pm. Photography is allowed at this event.

The Skating Display will showcase skaters from our Starskate, Junior, Intermediate and Senior ice programs. Skaters from these levels were sent home with a handout to return indicating if they are available to take part or not.

For the Family Skate, in the interests of safety and depending on the numbers, we will have two 30-minute sessions. All non-RPFSC members must sign in before skating and also be required to wear  CSA Certified Hockey helmet. These requirements for non members are essential for insurance coverage.

The Schedule for our event is as follows:

  • 9:15 am and onwards – Tea, Coffee and Hot Chocolate
  • 9:30 – 10:45 am  – Skating Skills Display
  • 11:00 -11:30 am – Session 1: Family Skate
  • 11:30 – 11:45 am – Ice Clean
  • 11:45 am – 12:15 pm – Session 2: Family Skate
  • 12: 15 – 12:45 pm – Program Assistants Fun Time

ALL skating lessons will be cancelled for this day.

Door Prizes 

Donations for door prizes are welcome. If you donate a prize, we offer one (1) Volunteer Credit for a $20 value prize. Gift Cards are perfect prizes. Please email [email protected] if you will be able to donate a prize. Prizes need to be delivered to our registration desk anytime up to Thursday December 8th.

Volunteers 

Thank you to those who have volunteered to assist on this day. We have enough Volunteers at this time. Volunteers will be receiving an email from Kylie closer to date of the event with more details.

Sadly, we will not be able to run our Potluck as we have in the past. Our growing numbers and the size of the venue no longer work to include this.

We look forward to seeing you at our event!

Save the Date for Family Skate – December 10

We will be holding our Annual Skills Display and Winter Family Skate on Saturday, December 10.

This is a chance to watch all our skaters (including CanSkaters) demonstrate their skills to music of the season and followed by our Family Skate where our skaters and their families can take a spin around the rink.

Schedule – to be confirmed
Times for skater arrival and check in, our Skills Display, Family Skate and Potluck will be confirmed in the coming weeks. Times listed below are approximate

  • 10:00 am (to be confirmed) – Skills Display (Open Ice, Star Skate 1 & 2, CanSkate)
  • 11:00 am (to be confirmed) – Family Skate & Potluck

Skaters are encouraged to wear something festive or their skating dress. Photography will be allowed during this event.

Family Skate
Anyone, regardless of age or ability, who is not registered for lessons with RPFSC, MUST wear a CSA approved hockey helmet during Family Skate. This is in accordance with Skate Canada insurance regulations. Skate rentals and helmets will be available.

Potluck
There will be a potluck during the Family Skate. The club will provide coffee, tea and hot chocolate. We ask each family to bring either a sweet or savoury snack to share. No nuts please. (Please label containers and platters to ensure you get them back).

Volunteers
An event like this cannot happen without volunteers. We are looking for volunteers to set up, take down, supervise food and beverage stations. If you’re able to help out, please check the on-line volunteer sign up page or email [email protected]

Reminder
There will be no CanSkate lessons on Saturday, December 10.

Skate Swap Continues this week!

On Saturday, September 10, we held a Skate Swap to help families buy and sell used skates, (subject to approved by club coach).

We have decided to set up the Skate Swap again during and after Canskate and StarSkate sessions this week on:

  • Tuesday, September 13 from 3:45 pm until 5:30pm 
  • Saturday, September 17 from 11:00 am till 1 pm.

There are many girls figure skates in a variety of sizes on offer, as well as a few pairs of boys skates in excellent condition for those looking for next sizes up.  Also available for sale by our members are a few Zuca bags/frames and a handful of beautiful skating dresses and skirts in a variety of sizes.

If you have skates you would like to offer for sale, please see Karen Tsang at the Skate Swap on Tuesday to arrange for them to be approved by our coach. Because skating lessons are in session, skates may not appear on the table immediately upon our receiving them.

We will not be able to keep unsold skates with us from Tuesday until Saturday, as we do not have sufficient storage space so please be prepared to take all unsold items home and, if you can bring them Saturday, leave the sale envelope attached.

All items left unclaimed at 6:00 pm Tuesday and 1:15 pm Saturday will be either sold on consignment (proceeds to benefit the club) or donated if not accepted by consigner.

Volunteer Desk Duty Shifts to fill – starting September 12

Thank you to those that have signed up for Desk Duty shifts in the coming sessions. As you know, we have listed our desk duty shifts online for the whole fall/winter season.

There is a new duty that is ‘On call” person for our early morning skates. This is an easy shift that requires you to be at the rink in case of an emergency and to assist the Head Coach as required. For example, fire drill, evacuation or obtaining assistance for an injured skater.

We have the following shifts beginning the week of September 12 that have not been filled yet. 

  • Mondays – 7.00 – 7.45 am – biweekly (Sep 12Sep 26Oct 10 & Oct 24, 2016) (4 weeks)
  • Mondays – 6.45 – 7:45am – biweekly (Sep 19Oct 3Oct 17 & Oct 31, 2016) (4 weeks)
  • Tuesdays – 5.30 – 6.30 pm – Sept 13 – Oct 11, 2016 (5 weeks)
  • Thursdays – 6.00 – 6:45am  – Sep 15 – Oct 13, 2016 (5 weeks)
  • Thursdays – 6:45 – 7:45am – Sep 15 – Oct 13, 2016 (5 weeks)
  • Thursday – 3.30 – 4.30pm Sept 15 – Oct 13 2016 (5 weeks)

You will be able to view and sign up for volunteer opportunities by logging into our Online Registration system, navigate to “Registration” and click on the “Volunteer Sign Up” button in the left hand column.

 

Open Ice – September 6 and 8

We will have open ice for Starskate 2, Junior, Intermediate and Senior Skaters on:

  • Tuesday, September 6 – 3:45 pm to 5:45 pm
  • Thursday, September 8 – 3:45 pm to 5:30 pm

Your skater must already be registered for the Fall in order to skate during these sessions.

On-site help with your online registrations will also be available during the following hours.

  • Tuesday, September 6 from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
  • Thursday, September 8 from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm